Douluo Dalu: I have a Soul Beast Clone

At the Battle Zone, Li Chang'an didn't rush to sign up for a match. Instead, he decided to observe other soul masters in battle from the audience seats.

Though his strength wasn't weak, he lacked combat experience and had never witnessed how soul masters fought in person. Jumping straight into a duel without preparation, even against someone weaker, could very well result in a one-sided thrashing.

Li Chang'an wasn't a masochist, so he opted to sit quietly in the stands, watching the battles in the central arena.

On the stage was Yu Tianheng, sporting long black hair and a somewhat stiff, expressionless face—not exactly handsome. It seemed that people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan often had this problem. Even Yu Xiaogang had a perpetually rigid face.

As Yu Tianheng's nephew, it wasn't hard to suspect he was imitating Yu Xiaogang. Considering how much he idolized the man in the original story, it was a reasonable assumption.

Li Chang'an couldn't help but shake his head. He had read the so-called "Master" Yu Xiaogang's works after arriving in this world. Much of it was baseless conjecture and assumptions, lacking any solid theoretical support. Following his methods blindly would likely lead to disaster.

Roughly 80% of Yu Xiaogang's theories were either incorrect or wildly speculative. The remaining 20% was merely a rehash of common knowledge found in any advanced academy's library.

For a soul master who lacked access to quality information, Yu Xiaogang's writings might seem somewhat useful—but only marginally. Blindly trusting them would almost certainly lead to failure.

As for the truly profound secrets of high-level soul master cultivation, Yu Xiaogang never included them in his published works. Such knowledge was the exclusive preserve of nobles, large clans, and powerful organizations. Disseminating these secrets to common soul masters would disrupt the status quo and provoke the ire of every major power in the land—including the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan itself.

Had Yu Xiaogang dared to share such insights, his life would have been forfeit the very next day. Knowledge was, and always had been, a closely guarded resource. It was monopolized to maintain the upper hand of the powerful and prevent commoners from rising to their level.

Despite the existence of many academies that admitted commoners, the knowledge they provided was limited to basic soul master concepts or unrelated fields. True mastery remained out of reach.

The lack of advanced training was a major reason why commoner soul masters rarely succeeded. Even those with talent and resources often lacked the knowledge to navigate the pitfalls of cultivation.

For example, identifying the type and age of a spirit beast could make or break a soul master's career—or even cost them their life. Even a slight miscalculation could result in a fatal backlash during spirit ring absorption.

This was why independent soul masters were so rare. Without guidance, resources, or advanced knowledge, a lone commoner was almost guaranteed to fail, regardless of their innate talent.

While Li Chang'an was lost in thought, the duel below had already reached its conclusion.

Yu Tianheng's Thunderclap Dragon Claw struck his opponent's chest with a resounding crack, sending arcs of electricity across their body. The sheer force of the blow sent the opponent flying several meters, leaving them sprawled and twitching on the ground.

"Match over!"

The teacher serving as referee promptly declared Yu Tianheng the winner while stepping in to stop him from delivering another blow. Healing staff rushed in to treat the defeated student, who lay unconscious despite their injuries being fully healed.

"Victory goes to Yu Tianheng!"

The audience erupted into cheers.

"I knew Yu Tianheng would win!"

"That small-time noble had no chance against the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"

"If only we could bet on these matches—I'd have made a killing by backing Yu Tianheng!"

"What nonsense? Everyone would bet on him. The odds would be trash unless you backed the loser."

Li Chang'an ignored the chatter, focusing instead on his impressions of Yu Tianheng.

At 14 years old, Yu Tianheng was already a Level 31 Soul Elder. Though not innately gifted with full soul power, his achievement was commendable for someone with a starting soul power of only nine.

However, compared to the protagonists of the original story, his accomplishments paled in comparison. Tang San and his companions had all reached Soul Elder by the age of 12 or 13. Even Dai Mubai, with the same innate soul power as Yu Tianheng, had reached Level 37 by age 15.

By the time Yu Tianheng appeared in the original story, he was in his early twenties and still only a Level 39 Soul Elder. The contrast made his achievements seem mediocre at best.

To Li Chang'an, Yu Tianheng was even less impressive than Feng Xiaotian—the poster child for wasted potential.

As Li Chang'an pondered the stark disparities, the referee announced the next match, and a new pair of students stepped into the arena.

"Alright, who's next?" Li Chang'an thought. Perhaps this match would provide further insights into the art of soul master combat.